Emma Mayes

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Steven Gutierrez

Age: 23 | Hometown: Little Rock
High School: Jacksonville Lighthouse College Preparatory Academy
Higher Education: University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Working toward: FBI Agent/Case Manager/Instructor

High-level jobs need high-level skills to succeed, and working in criminal justice is a testament to this principle. Steven Gutierrez, a master’s degree student at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, said he watched true crime growing up and was inspired by the fact that there are not enough skilled professionals to help people in situations of crisis.

While he hasn't picked out a specific career yet, he knows he wants to have a position to help people to the best of his ability on the legal side of things. Overall, he is looking forward to helping people.

He transferred to the University of Arkansas in Little Rock in 2020 and he didn't take out any loans. His educational freedom was thanks to the opportunities given with Pell grants, scholarships, and graduate assistantships. More specifically, he received a transfer scholarship and the Arkansas Lottery scholarship – something he wants students to know more about.

During his time in higher education, his favorite class was “Criminal Justice Policy,” which he enjoyed because he learned a lot about how agencies and departments’ environments work – knowledge that helped prepare him for what was to come in the future.

He advises prospective students who have scholarships to not take out loans because it will come back to them and they will have to pay later

Students should be smart with money, Gutierrez advises, although most might take advantage of living in the dorms and might start using their money on whatever they want – it is always better to save money for something important. 

“Financial literacy is important because students going into college are now adults, and it is important to be smart with money,” Steven said. 

If a student gets paid with cash, he says to make sure to deposit that money into the bank. If they apply for credit cards, make sure to pay them back on time because it will affect credit reports and scores, and you need a good credit score in your adult life.

“Get ready to learn,” Steven said. “Take advantage of internships...It will help you gain experience and learn faster, and make sure you have good time management skills.”

What You Need to Know

Length of Program
The length of the program depends on the field of study. While it typically takes a full-time student two years to complete a graduate degree in business, it can take three years for law school and four years for medical students.

Cost
The cost of a graduate degree varies greatly by institution and program type.

Admissions Requirements
Most graduate programs have a minimum GPA requirement and a minimum score on a standardized test like the GRE, MCAT, DAT or LSAT. Many programs also expect students to have been well-involved in extracurriculars for their field of study while pursuing their undergraduate degree.

Housing
Most colleges do offer on-campus student housing for graduate students. Although, most graduate students live off campus.